What is a “Temporary Tooth”? Why is it used?

Nowadays, crown and bridge treatments, popularly known as veneers, are applied in order to aesthetically change the smile, replace missing teeth and restore teeth with excessive tissue loss. Such treatments are fixed treatments that are glued to the teeth in the mouth and used as one’s own teeth.

We hear terms such as Emax, zirconia, porcelain under the title of these fixed treatments.

In fixed treatments, the teeth are first reduced in size to create enough space for the material to be placed on the teeth. Then, an impression of the prepared (cut/reduced) teeth is taken. When the impression is taken, the paste

As an alternative to the old-fashioned impression methods, 3D intraoral scanner devices can be used in today’s technology.

Depending on the material (zirconia, emax, metal, etc.) and method (digital/traditional) preferred by the person, the production period of the permanent teeth begins. In digital methods, permanent teeth can be produced and bonded on the same day using scraping devices. However, the production process, which is carried out manually by a dental technician, is completed within an average of 1 week and 10 days depending on the material. During this process, plastic temporary teeth made of acrylic, which can be prepared in a short time, are made for patients until their main teeth arrive. These temporary teeth are glued to the teeth with temporary adhesives so that they can be easily removed during rehearsal sessions.

Benefits of temporary teeth: Why are temporary teeth made?

– Prevents sensitivity of the cut teeth.

– It prevents aesthetic loss and makes the person comfortable in social environments.

– Helps prevent speech differences and difficulties caused by missing teeth.

– Supports the soft tissues, especially the lips and cheeks.

prevents it from collapsing.

– Although they are not very strong, they enable the person to chew during the 1-week period.

– It facilitates the fit of the final prosthesis by shaping the gum around the tooth.

– Pre-prepared (cut/reduced) teeth can be cleaned from external bacteria such as food residues.

protects them from the effects.

– It prevents the teeth from shifting and moving.

Is the material of temporary teeth harmful to health?

Temporary teeth, popularly called “plastic teeth”, are biocompatible, that is, harmless to health in terms of content. They are not affected by the temperature in the mouth and the food we eat and drink. The only disadvantages are that they are more fragile than materials such as zirconia, porcelain, emax and are not as aesthetically satisfying as these materials.

How long can we use temporary teeth?

As a standard, temporary teeth are used for 1 week and 10 days until the permanent teeth arrive. However, according to different treatment plans and needs, they can be used for much longer periods on a monthly basis as long as they are not broken.